A Whole New World
by spiritypowers
Summary: His name was once inconsequential, an inaudible cough in the ears of anyone remotely important. At least, until both a princess and a lamp came along. / Kainora Aladdin AU
1. Prologue

In the nightly marketplace of Agrabah, when the noise has died down and the paper lanterns flicker in the clear night sky, there's one display manned by a green-eyed man with a smile that's far too sincere for the crowded, dirty street on which he sells his wares. He has the usual fare you'd expect – lavish jewelry that are most likely made of glass and painted metal, pots and pans haphazardly cobbled together and useful for anything but cooking, and clothing that the seller won't let you look at too closely, always cautious of the keen eye that can catch a frayed hemline.

Run-of-the-mill junk, just like most of the wares in Agrabah's marketplace, day or night. At least during the daytime, you can find fruit preserves and fresh fish. No, what makes the night market worthwhile are the stories he tells. Maybe that frayed cloak was worn by a runaway princess. Maybe the pot was handled during a chase between a thief and the palace guards. Maybe an especially clever winged lemur tried to stuff those fake jewels into his mouth during one of those chases. The stories that man could tell – Bolin, he calls himself – are all almost worth throwing away a pity coin for, almost worth a cold desert night in the lower rings of Agrabah. But the real gem in all of his stories, the real Diamond in the Rough, as he likes to call it, is a story of a lamp, and how it changed one young man's life forever.

Is it true? There are definitely those who don't believe it is. How could a simple old lamp, rusted along the sides and dented near the spout, change the life of some street rat? But Bolin always beckons his listeners to look closer; after all, he says, not everything is as it seems, and true value lies within.

Maybe he's right. Or maybe he's just another merchant with tall tales and a mouth that can run for hours. But with a story like the one he tells, one has to wonder.

This is the story of a street rat. His name was once inconsequential, an inaudible cough in the ears of anyone remotely important. At least, until both a princess and a lamp came along.

This is the story of a Diamond in the Rough.


	2. A Dark Man With a Dark Purpose

The desert wind chafed at Unalaq's skin, chilling him even under his thick layers of red and black silk. He rested one hand on the knob of his scepter, the cold metal quickly warming under the contact. Unalaq took a lot of pride in his scepter; it had been specially made for him years ago, adorned with a cobra head at the top. Two small rubies were embedded in the metal, meant to give the scepter the appearance of gleaming eyes. His other hand clutched the reigns of his ostrich horse.

Where was Ping, anyway? The man's patience was wearing thin.

The padding sound of hooves hitting sand brought Unalaq out of his thoughts, and his eyebrows furrowed as the figure on the ostrich horse became clearer. Finally, the rider dismounted and walked up to Unalaq, his back slouched and his eyes darting. His hands were wrapped around _something_ , most likely the artifact that would make association with a greasy character like Ping worth all the trouble. At least it better be, Unalaq thought to himself.

"You are late." The words came out slow and methodical. Simple, not quite sharp enough to be taken as a total threat, but still unsettlingly low, in a tone that almost sounded scolding if not for its total lack of warmth.

"A thousand apologies, O Patient One," Ping said in a sniveling voice. The thin man shivered slightly, his threadbare clothes no match for the chill of the desert night. Hopefully he wouldn't have to stay out like this for long.

"You have it, then?" Unalaq looked at Ping expectantly, and for the first time during their exchange, Ping's thin lips curled up into a grin.

"I had to slit a few throats," the man said, almost puffing out his chest, and Unalaq nearly rolled his eyes – it was one thing to get one's hands dirty, it was completely another to take pride in it – but he nearly forgot everything as Ping opened up his previously clasped hands, revealing one half of a small, golden beetle. "But I got it." Unalaq's mouth turned up into a slight smile as he reached for the half-beetle, disappearing as Ping snatched his hands away. "Uh-uh-uh, the treasure-"

Unalaq snatched it from Ping's hands, the grimace on his face now all too clear. "Trust me, my pungent friend," he said, reaching into his overcoat, flaring out his nostrils slightly for added effect, "you'll get what's coming to you." He pulled out the other half of the golden beetle, and with careful, spindly fingers, joined the two halves together. Ping watched in wonder as Unalaq brought the two pieces into contact, and upon touching each other, the beetle immediately lit up with some otherworldly glow. It flitted out of Unalaq's hands, hovering for a moment, and its gleam reflected in Unalaq's flashing eyes and teeth, and Ping had to wonder if Unalaq's grin was just a little _too_ wide when the beetle zoomed off into the night sky, leaving a glittering trail of golden sand behind it.

"Quickly! Follow the trail!" Unalaq mounted his ostrich horse with great speed, and Ping scrambled onto his own, just barely keeping up. " _Faster!_ " Ping wasn't sure whether Unalaq was talking to his ostrich horse or to him, but he decided not to risk it as he flicked at his reigns, kicking a heel into the side of his own ostrich horse.

The beetle split into two again once it reached an especially large mound of sand, zooming around it once before landing in the soft ground. Ping had only just begun to observe that the two glittering artifacts looked strangely like eyes in the sand when it started to…move.

The lump rose and writhed, the ground shaking under them as it began to take shape. Ping and Unalaq were both bucked off their ostrich horses, and the sand surround the lump was drawn into it. The beetle pieces stayed in place the entire time.

The form continued to shiver and shake until it was the unmistakable shape of a lion turtle's head. It towered at least several stories over them, and the "eyes" seemed to be glaring straight down at them. Ping gulped in uncertainty as the lion turtle head stretched its mouth wide open.

"At last," Unalaq said, "after all my years of searching…the Cave of Wonders." His voice was soft with awe, and his eyes glimmered with both wonderment and hunger.

"By Raava," Ping said from behind Unalaq without meaning to. Unalaq shot Ping a disdainful look before abruptly grabbing him by the frayed collar of what could hardly be called a shirt.

"Now, remember," Unalaq said sharply, "bring me the lamp. The rest of the treasure is yours but the lamp is _mine_." Ping nodded quickly and silently, and Unalaq's oily grin was back on his face as he released Ping, pushing him in the direction of the Cave's literal gaping mouth.

Ping rubbed his hands together eagerly, the friction of skin and dirt warming him as he approached the mouth of the Cave. He couldn't help his grin as he thought of all that awaited him – piles of golden coins, jewels bigger than his fist, chains of silver longer than the tallest men in the world – all his, if he could just get his hands on some stupid lamp.

He stepped onto the lip of the Cave and looked down into it with some apprehension. Spikes of sand in the shape of teeth lined the mouth of the Cave, and its tongue shifted into a series of steps.

Ping forced out a shaky sigh before raising his foot to step over the teeth when a strong burst of wind from within the Cave – its breath? – knocked him off his feet and off the lip of the Cave.

Then, the Cave's lips _moved_.

"Who disturbs my slumber?" it boomed in a low, guttural voice, before opening its mouth wide again.

"I-it is I, Ping," Ping said in a trembling voice, shying away from the Cave before bowing to it, "a humble thief."

The Cave seemed unaffected. "Know this," it said, "only one may enter here, one whose worth lies far within: a Diamond in the Rough."

Ping blinked at the Cave's words for a moment, then looked back to Unalaq with a confused shrug.

Unalaq only waved him toward the direction of the Cave. "What are you waiting for? Go on!"

Ping turned back to the Cave, eyeing it uneasily as he took slow, reluctant steps towards its mouth. Even when Unalaq violently cleared his throat, Ping couldn't bring himself to quicken his pace. _Nothing_ could be more threatening than that cave.

He had climbed back over the lip and was trying to take that stupid first step forward, but his foot trembled as it hovered over that first step down, and his eyes darted madly around at the teeth around and over him. This place was giving him the absolute creeps and if he could just run out maybe he'd be too fast for Unalaq to skin him alive. No treasure could be worth this.

…Could it?

If anyone was willing to find out, it was Ping. His fingers grew jittery and restless as he imagined them weighed down by treasure rare enough to earn the envy of kings from all over the world, and before he quite realized it, his foot was on the first step. He looked around quickly to confirm that his surroundings hadn't changed at all, before sighing in relief and bracing himself for the next step.

He didn't get the chance to take it when, with a furious roar, the top of the Cave's mouth crashed down on him. He tried to scream, to turn and run, but it was too late as the Cave swallowed him whole, sand crashing down on sand, returning to its soft, malleable form.

"Seek out the Diamond in the Rough," the voice of the Cave said, even as it returned to its shapeless state. The two beetle halves rolled out of the sand, and Unalaq bent down to pick them up, wiping away any remaining granules of sand before tucking them into the breast of his silk overcoat.

It was so hard to find reliable help these days.

He mounted his ostrich horse and took a hold of Ping's, galloping back towards the kingdom. It looked like he wouldn't be getting anywhere without this Diamond in the Rough, whoever he may be.


	3. One Jump Ahead

"Someone stop him!"

The words were barely out of the palace guard's parched throat when a lean, spry figure rushed through the crowds, leaping around over barrels and boxes, navigating the slums of Agrabah with alarming ease. The captain of the palace guards, Saikhan, was still several paces behind their target, and the rest were just barely keeping up. Passersby were jostled around and sometimes even knocked over during the scene of the chase, the focus of all the commotion running through in a blur, letting out a well-intentioned, "Excuse me!" or "Sorry!" as he passed on through. This had been a normal happenstance in the lower rings of Agrabah for at least ten years, and in spite of the constant grumbling, no one outside law enforcement saw a point in stopping it.

The figure didn't stop until he had hopped his way up to a wooden platform, grinning over the gaping onlookers and bumbling guards. Only Saikhan had leapt into action, shaking at one of the wooden supports ("support" was a very generous name for what was proving to be nothing more than a giant toothpick), and the young man was grateful when a familiar mass of flying fur attached itself to Saikhan's face, giving him just enough time to leap into a nearby window. He landed with a hard thump on the clay floor, and got up for a moment to rub his throbbing seat with one hand, the other clutching a loaf of bread. He almost thought it wouldn't be worth the trouble, when the pang in his stomach brought him back into his own harsh reality. He looked around the room for something, _anything_ to hide in, and figured wrapping himself up in a ragged old tablecloth was as good a disguise as any. He draped it over his head and shoulders and hunched over just enough to pass for an old woman, and started towards the opposite window when a voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"A bit early in the morning for trouble, isn't it, Kai?"

He whirled around in the direction of the voice and let out a sigh of relief, silently kicking himself in the behind for not noticing anyone else in the room before. Thank Raava it had just been Korra.

"You know me. Gotta eat to live."

"And you gotta steal to eat," Korra finished for him, shaking her head at the mantra he'd adopted for himself since he'd been walking. The blue hood fell off her head at the movement, revealing a short, messy bob of dark brown hair. Her blue eyes twinkled. "Speaking of stealing…"

Kai looked at the tablecloth he'd obtained. "Yeah. Sorry. I promise I'll bring it back…?"

Korra sighed, crossing her arms. "You know you could just move back in. Even if you insisted you didn't want to be a burden on me, you know I could never think of you like that-"

"I'm fine. Really." His green eyes met her blue ones, and Kai had to wonder when he'd gotten taller than her. Behind her signature crooked smile, Kai could see the concern in the woman's eyes, and he sighed. He returned her smile with his own. "You know me. I can't stay in one place for long and there's no point in getting me to."

"I guess not," Korra conceded, nodding over to the window. "Careful on your way out, and feel free to take some fruit for the road."

"Korra, I'm not taking your food." His head jerked at the sound of rumbling and clanging scimitars, and he scrambled toward the window. "Gotta steal it for myself fair and square, right?"

Korra sighed again. "If you say so, kid."

A familiar chittering interrupted their conversation, and Kai didn't even have to look to know that Momo had perched himself on his shoulder. He reached over to scratch the spot between Momo's ears. "Good boy." He turned to Korra with a sheepish grin. "I'd love to stay around, but-" The rumbling and shouting of guards drew closer, and it was all the explanation Korra needed.

"Say no more. Don't get yourself killed out there."

"You know I won't." And with a swift leap, he was out the window, leaving Korra to shrug at the guards that burst through her splintered wooden door.

Kai figured he had about a two-minute head start on the guards now, four if they continued to scratch their heads at his admittedly faulty disguise. He turned a corner and had to stop for a moment, clutching at the stitch in his side.

This was far too much trouble for a loaf of bread. He tucked it into the makeshift belt he'd made for himself, freeing his hands. He just hoped the crumbs wouldn't stick to his pants.

The closely shaven hairs on the back of his head tingled, and he dodged the swing of a scimitar just in time, trying to drown out Momo's hysterical chattering as he dodged the blow of another guard, sliding under the swing of Saikhan's scimitar with just an inch of clearance between him and the blade. He got up quickly and smiled sheepishly at the glare of the guards, backing away slowly.

"Come on, guys, I eat, you hold onto your dignity, and we're all even, right?" He mentally scanned his surroundings from his periphery; there was a flight of stairs just to his right, a few barrels scattered around the pathway, and judging from the stench, Hakim was selling some fresh fertilizer that day.

"Nope," Saikhan said in a gruff voice, and that was all Kai needed. He took hold of the nearest barrel and rolled it towards the guards in front of him, leapt over to the stairs, held on tightly to a screeching Momo, and jumped into the nearest window as soon as he felt Saikhan on his heels.

It was just him and the captain in the empty room now, and Kai backed away slowly.

"You're not getting away that easily," the guard said, and Kai snorted. A plain yellow carpet was laid out on the warm clay floor, and a pot was hanging off the edge of the table.

"We'll see," Kai said, grabbing the pot. He banged it over Saikhan's head just hard enough to daze him for a bit before reaching for the carpet. He held onto the end of it, and with a flick of both his wrists, splayed it out over the window. "Till next time!" And with that, Kai jumped out the window, gliding down on the carpet. He turned his head to see Saikhan trying to make a grab for him, but was too late, and fell straight out the window into Hakim's freshest pile of fertilizer. Kai winced and turned back, bringing the carpet out from under him, using it as a parachute to glide down to safety.

He landed with a soft thud in one of the alleyways, safe from any more guards. At least for the morning. Kai pulled the loaf of bread out from his belt, mostly intact, if not a little crumbly, before giving Momo a high five as the green-eyed lemur hopped down from Kai's shoulder.

"And now, esteemed offendee," he said, breaking the loaf in half and handing one half to Momo, "we feast!" Momo chittered excitedly as he grabbed the loaf of bread, biting into it eagerly. Kai chuckled Momo stuffed his tiny face, his cheeks bulging almost as much as his bright green eyes, before Kai turned to his own half, ready to dig in.

He'd barely opened his mouth when he caught two children sifting through a broken jar. The older one was a girl, the younger a boy, and they were most likely siblings. Orphans. Their clothes hung over them lamely, ill-fitting and faded, but better than running around Agrabah naked, anyway. Kai should know; he'd been wearing the same tiny vest for the past eight years, and it wasn't like he had money for an actual shirt. Not one that would fit him past pubescence, anyway.

The little girl's bangs were sticking to her forehead in a greasy mess, and she held up some fish bones, looking on at her findings with disappointed blue eyes. Kai's stomach gurgled in defiance – _No Kai, you are_ not _neglecting me because some kid is attaching themselves to your guilty conscience_ – but when the little girl's eyes met his, his conscience won the battle once again.

The little girl dropped her fish bones with a start, pulling her little brother behind her. Kai gave the two children a small smile, and turned to Momo, who was already glaring at him as if he knew exactly what Kai was thinking.

"Uh-uh," Momo chittered, taking an especially ravenous bite of his bread. Kai sighed, ruffling the fur between Momo's large, bat-like ears, then turned back to the kids, whose eyes widened in hunger.

Kai got up slowly, already feeling the hunger pangs gnawing at the inside of his stomach, willing himself to do the right thing with each step he took forward. He knelt down in front of the little girl, whose bright blue eyes trembled with a mixture of fear and hope. Kai smiled good-naturedly at her, holding out his half loaf of bread to her.

"Go on, take it," Kai encouraged, and the little girl's eyes flitted from the sustenance in front of her back to Kai's face, as if searching his eyes for any sign of foul play, before she quickly took the bread from him and handed it to her brother. She made sure he got a few bites before she pulled off a piece for herself, stuffing her thing cheeks as she smiled up gratefully at Kai.

"T'ank 'ou," the little girl said through a mouth full of bread, and Kai stood back up, ruffling the little girl's head before taking his leave. He walked past Momo, who whined softly at him, before scampering over to the children and reluctantly handing them what was left of his own half loaf. Kai turned to watch the scene, smiling softly to himself as the little girl took the other half of the loaf and pressed a warm kiss to Momo's head. Momo's tiny mouth turned up into a grin, and he chittered happily at the children before scampering back over to Kai, climbing up onto his shoulder. They both gave the children one last goodbye before walking out of the alleyway.

Kai wandered for a bit, if only to get his mind off the twisting ache in his stomach. The sights and smells of food vendors selling fruit preserves and spiced meats didn't help any, and he was far too tired to think of stealing anything right now, so he just walked, trying hard not to give in to the temptation to ask Korra to share another meal. He distracted himself with whatever he could; the calling of jewel sellers, the crashing of old clay pots, the romantic failings of a young man trying to win over a pretty girl with a wilted flower, the sand between his bare toes, Momo's excited chittering, the greetings of the young married women doing their laundry, anything, really, when Kai noticed the distant sound of cheering and fanfare around the corner into one of the main streets of lower Agrabah. He followed the noise to a large crowd gathered around some kind of procession, and wriggled his way between a few middle-aged men to get a better view of the scene.

The sight before Kai was almost blinding in the setting desert sun; a man, garbed in bright purple silk and glittering golden chains sat haughtily atop a well-groomed ostrich horse with white feathers. A large purple plume adorned the front of the man's large, extravagant turban, and the man held his nose up above the crowd cheering him in. His ostrich horse trotted along the path towards the gates separating lower Agrabah and the more privileged inner rings. His thin, oil-slicked mustache wobbled slightly over his stiff upper lip, and Kai almost laughed at how ridiculous the man looked.

"On his way to the palace, I suppose," one of the men behind him said. It would explain the fanfare and the general excitement of the hoi polloi.

"Another suitor for the princess," a second man behind him said in an exasperated tone, and Kai nearly hummed in agreement. There were at least ten of these processions weekly, all gone within three days' time. Kai almost wished this princess would just pick a husband already and save them all the trouble of getting trampled over by delegates and princes and whoever else came barging into Agrabah. Then again, Kai couldn't wish the misfortune of marrying something like _that_ on any poor girl, not even the richest in the kingdom.

Kai had to wonder what it'd be like, to have servants and escorts. To make grand entrances everywhere he went, to be protected by guards instead of persecuted. To be garbed in the finest, and to worry about nothing other than wooing rich young women. To not even think about how he'd come by his next meal.

Heck, he'd take the last one by itself. One could only have fun with thieving for so long; when your means of living meant hiding out from government officials daily, it got tiring. Not like he'd be able to even earn an "honest living" now, he'd been scraping for stolen scraps since he was eight years old. He'd practically been raised with guard chases, and his face was far too familiar to the workers in lower Agrabah.

His thoughts were interrupted by a shoving near his waist, and Kai looked down to see the two children he'd given up his food to earlier running past the crowd and into the main street. Kai's eyes widened as he processed the scene. The kids stopped short in front of the ostrich horse, causing it to back up, and its rider scowled, pulling out a whip. The girl placed herself in front of her younger brother as quickly as she could, and every inch of her body trembled.

"Out of my way!" the prince bellowed, flicking the whip in the direction of the children. "Filthy brats!" Kai placed Momo on the ground as he scanned the scene one last time.

With barely a moment to think, Kai made his way out into the street, stepping in front of the two children in the nick of time.


	4. Born A Street Rat

"Hey!"

Kai held up his forearm in front of his face, allowing the inside of it to take the blow of the whip. It slapped lightly against his skin, stinging as it wrapped around his arm. Kai grabbed the rest of the whip from the prince's knobby fingers.

"If I was as rich as you, I could afford some manners." The words had barely left Kai's mouth as he threw the whip back into the prince's face. The man clumsily caught it, nearly falling off his ostrich horse in the process. Kai looked behind him at the girl and gave her a quick nod, and she returned it gratefully before pulling her brother across to the other side of the road.

The prince spluttered indignantly. "I'll teach you some manners!" He glared madly at Kai before shoving past him, knocking Kai over into a patch of mud. Kai wasn't sure what made him more angry, the fact that this _spoiled brat_ had just pushed him into the dirt like a child, or the fact that someone had been so wasteful as to spill water onto the dirt road, but it hardly mattered as Momo scampered towards him in concern, not seeming to mind as the mud clung to his off-white fur. Momo crossed his spindly arms at the prince and stuck out his black bottom lip, glaring with large apple-green eyes. Kai nearly smiled, but the raucous laughter of onlookers brought Kai back into the humiliation of the moment. Kai simply glared ahead, letting his mouth run just like it always had.

"Look at that, Momo," he called loudly enough for the prince and everyone else around them to hear, "it's not every day you see an ostrich horse with two rear ends!"

The laughter of the crowd faded into a collectively stunned "Oooh," and the prince with his fancy ostrich horse stopped in their tracks. Kai smirked to himself. _I guess that got to you._

The prince whirled around on his ostrich horse with a start, towering over Kai, who was still sitting down, fresh mud dripping down his bare arms and messy hair.

"You," the prince began in a derisive voice, "are a worthless street rat. You were born a street rat. You will die a street rat. And only your fleas will mourn you."

The man's thin lips curled up into a haughty smile as he turned away, passing through the large wooden doors of upper Agrabah. Kai glowered, and he could almost feel the mud boiling against his skin as he leapt up and made a jump for the prince, not caring that it was disrespectful or that it would get him into even _more_ trouble with law enforcement. _No one_ talked to him like that and got away with it.

The doors slammed shut on him, his fists and forearms slamming against smooth wood. He looked up at the arched doors and along the white wall that separated him and upper Agrabah and clenched his fists, glaring up at its height.

"I'm _not_ worthless," Kai muttered, his fists and voice shaking. Momo scampered up to him, taking a seat on his shoulder. "And I don't have fleas." Kai scratched at the floppy top of his undercut for good measure. He continued glaring up the wall's length, daring it to define him, to remind him of his origin, to make him feel worthless, just like that stupid prince on his stupid little ostrich horse had.

Somehow, the wall won the glaring contest, and he sighed, his gaze falling to the ground in front of him. His feet were flat and calloused, and mud clung to the hairs on the tops of his feet. A cakey mixture of mud and dry desert dirt stuck between his toes and under his untrimmed toenails, and Kai looked away with a deep frown. Momo squeaked softly into his ear, and Kai smiled at his friend sadly.

"C'mon, Momo. Let's go home."

 _there's so much more to me_

The desert air dropped from sweltering to chilly as the sun hid itself away into the horizon, the dimming light painting the sky rich hues of purple and pink against the brown-red of the tall buildings. Kai walked under rows of laundry lines set out to dry from earlier that morning, into ruins of former living areas that had crumbled away long ago. He stepped over wood and rock debris, around torn curtains left to rot from another time and place, walking up to a tall, crooked building. Ladders and stairways were stacked along each other, and Kai climbed up each step without much difficulty, his arms and legs long used to the wear and tear of squatting.

Once he reached the top, he climbed in through a small window. Momo glided off Kai's shoulder, landing gently on cold stone, before scampering up to the crumbled steps near a large curtain. What the steps were for, neither of them knew; Kai always assumed the building had been even bigger and taller long ago, in some age of Agrabah that had passed long before he'd been shoved into existence. That was one of the nice things about living in this little hovel; even if it was barely livable, Kai could keep himself occupied with possible stories of this little building's origins for hours.

The steps were furnished with piles of old blankets and pillows, and Momo was snuggling up to the nicest one they had (nicest meaning the only one that still had all its feathers inside). Kai pulled off his cloth vest and draped it over Momo, giving the lemur one last scratch behind the ears before he dozed off.

Kai stood up quietly to pull back the makeshift curtain. It opened to a gaping hole that served as a large window, with a perfect view of the palace. The ivory walls and golden tops of each tower glistened in the moonlight, its soft glow only outmatched by the stars. He sat down on the ledge, one leg dangling off the edge as he leaned back with the heels of his hands planted on the stone floor. He stared at the palace wistfully, almost hypnotized by the light and the splendor of what he'd never truly known.

"Someday, Momo, things are gonna change," Kai murmured. Momo snored softly in reply, and Kai continued with a soft smile. "We'll be rich, and live in a palace, and never have any problems at all."

They were wild dreams, and Kai knew it. He knew it was a lot for someone like him to hope for, someone with not even a yuan to his name, no parents, and no friends other than Momo and Korra, the woman that had taken him in as a child so long ago. But if he'd learned anything during his short 18 years of life, it was that sometimes, a crazy amount of hope was all you could hold on to some days. On days when he went without food or even water, hope was all he had. It was the one thing that couldn't be taken away from him. The one thing that was just _his_ , without either having to steal it from someone or have it be given to him.

He scooted away from the ledge and pulled the curtain on the palace, deciding to save that dream for sleep as he gingerly took the threadbare pillow next to Momo and curled up at the base of the steps.

"Sweet dreams, Momo," he whispered as he pulled one of the thin blankets over him. "Raava knows we'll need them."


	5. These Palace Walls

Chapter Four: These Palace Walls

The finely carved mahogany doors out to the veranda slammed shut, and Tenzin winced. Stomping footsteps slapped against the marble floor, and he almost didn't want to turn around.

Tenzin had been Sultan for decades now. He had made proclamations, compromised with delegates, gotten Agrabah floating on by even in its depression, and even managed to keep the country out of war during his entire reign.

Somehow, the hardest part of his job so far had proved to be finding a husband for his eldest daughter.

"I've _never_ been so insulted!" Prince Achmed's voice cracked with rage, and Tenzin finally turned around, only to find himself wishing he hadn't. There was a large tear in the seat of the prince's rich purple pants, revealing his billowing undergarments. Tenzin averted his eyes quickly.

 _Pepper._

"Y-you're not leaving so soon, are you?" Tenzin tried to sound more distressed, but after over forty suitors had come and gone, including the officials of lesser provinces because at this point he'd be grateful if Jinora settled down with _anyone_ with the political and financial power to take care of her and the rest of the family, he was merely disappointed.

"Good luck marrying _her_ off!" Prince Achmed turned the corner towards the main palace doors, and Tenzin knew there was no point in going after him.

With a huff and a quick turn of his heel, he pushed open one of the stately doors to the veranda. " _Jinora_!"

He walked along the path of pastel-colored step stones into the garden, where he found his two daughters sitting on the edge of the fountain. Tenzin was about to confront his eldest when a large tiger leapt in front of him, glaring only with aggravation and not hunger. Tenzin crossed his arms at the creature. An unmistakably purple piece of cloth was stuck between her bottom teeth.

"Confound it, Pepper!" Tenzin shooed the tiger away, and she simply shook her great head at him, almost in disappointment. Tenzin took a place in front of his daughters, and had to remind himself not to yell when Jinora raised a challenging eyebrow at him. "So," Tenzin began, trying to keep his voice level, " _this_ is why Prince Achmed stormed out!" He gestured to Pepper, who had nuzzled her freckled nose into Jinora's lap.

"Oh, Dad, she was just playing with him," Ikki said with an innocent smile, reaching over to rub the tiger's head.

"Yeah, _Dad_ ," Jinora replied, a hint of a smirk on her face. She scratched behind Pepper's bright orange ears and looked into her face affectionately. "Weren't you, Pepper?" she cooed. "You were just playing with that overdressed, self-absorbed Prince Achmed, weren't you?" Jinora's smile softened as Ikki giggled and Pepper melted into all the affection, purring as she shifted her head into Ikki's lap.

Tenzin continued to frown deeply at them, and Jinora's laughter was the first to taper off into an exasperated silence.

"Jinora," he began gently, "you've got to stop rejecting every suitor who comes to call!"

Jinora simply rolled her eyes and got up from her spot on the fountain. The long skirt of her yellow silk dress floated behind her as she walked over to the large, decorative birdcage near the rosebushes. She brushed out the soft bodice of her dress as she looked into the cage, smiling softly at the pair of white doves nuzzling against one another.

"Can you blame me for having standards? I just don't like the way they look at me. Or Ikki." Jinora shook her head, opening the small door of the large gilded cage. She reached out her hand, beckoning the doves into it. When they perched themselves on her index finger, she gently brought them out, softly petting the top of the male dove's head.

"The way they…?" Tenzin pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard not to look aggravated. He glanced back at Ikki, who was still running her hands through Pepper's fur. She'd gone uncharacteristically silent at the mention of her name.

"Do you know what it's like to be looked at like you're some trophy, Dad? And it's bad enough that the majority of my suitors are at least ten years older than me, but the fact that they're considering Ikki? Really?" She turned slightly to him, still stroking the dove's head. "She's not even of marrying age, Dad, and I'm sick of-"

"You know I was 16 years older than your mother." Tenzin said it softly, and Jinora shut her eyes.

"I _know_ , Dad. But at least you saw her as an actual person. Ikki and I don't even get that luxury." Jinora's eyelids fluttered open again, and she looked longingly at the birds on her finger.

"You know the law, Jinora. I'm getting too old to keep up this Sultan business. Rohan's still a toddler and Meelo's far too young to take the throne, so the only way to ensure Agrabah's security is for you to get married. And the law states that the princess-"

"-must be married to a prince," Jinora finished for him, unenthused.

"By your next birthday." They both fell silent for a moment, all too aware of the sands of time constantly slipping through their fingers. If Tenzin retired without making sure Jinora was safe and secure, leaving her and her alone to govern all of Agrabah… Tenzin wasn't sure if he could live with himself. The idea of putting so much responsibility in his little girl's small hands was a burden he could never think to ask her to bear.

"Dad… The law is _wrong_." She said it softly, meeting his eyes for the first time since getting up.

"You only have three more months," Tenzin said, his tone just as soft. "Jinora, I can't step down from the throne without knowing you're in good hands. Without knowing that _Agrabah_ is in good hands."

"Dad…" Jinora bit her lip, holding the question back. She knew if she remained unmarried, she'd be forced to rule Agrabah on her own. That the law required a Sultan to lead, not a queen. That if she remained unmarried after her 18th birthday, tongues would wag and it'd be that much harder for Agrabah to stay in the good graces of other countries. She'd have to fight to gain back that respect, and rumors would spread of her undesirability.

Would it really be so bad, though? Even if it took all that work, even if it took years of blood, sweat, and tears, Jinora dared to think that maybe, just maybe, she could run the country on her own. With the help of her siblings, of course. Even if Meelo was still young, Ikki could help, and Unalaq… Okay, no, scratch that, she'd have to hire an advisor whose voice didn't remind her of slime.

It would be hard, but not impossible. Unheard of, yes, but the greatest moments in history always started with something unheard of. If her father would just _trust_ her…

"If I do marry," Jinora said carefully, "I want it to be for love." She looked back down to the doves on her finger, who chirped happily at her. She let out a small, resigned sigh, wondering if she'd ever find it in her to discuss the bigger issue with her father.

She did mean it, though. If marriage was in her future, she didn't care for it to have any political implications. She simply wanted to love and be loved in return. Maybe it was a lot for someone in her position to wish for, but her parents had found it against all odds. Why couldn't she?

"I'm not going to be around forever," Tenzin said sadly. "I just want to make sure you and your sister are taken care of. Provided for." He took the doves from her hand and coaxed them back into their cage. Jinora's face fell and she walked back over to the fountain. She sat down next to Ikki, who was now rubbing Pepper's belly with her foot, and wrapped an arm around her.

"Has it ever occurred to you that we can take care of ourselves?" Jinora asked. She hadn't meant to say it so sharply, but it was too late to turn back now. "Dad, Ikki and I have been looking out for the boys since we were little. We used to help Mom take care of them, and still help the servants look after Rohan. You don't _need_ to worry about us being taken care of. You and Mom already showed us how to take care of ourselves."

Tenzin took a seat between Jinora, his back straight and stiff. He didn't say anything for a while, when Ikki chimed in.

"We've never seen anything outside the palace walls. And – Daddy, we've never even gotten a chance to prove we can take care of ourselves!" She exchanged a wide-eyed look with Jinora, who returned it with a sympathetic smile.

"We've never done a thing on our own. Neither of us have ever even made a real friend," Jinora added in a sad voice. When Pepper growled indignantly, Jinora laughed softly. "Other than you," she said to the tiger, who purred in satisfaction and rested her head back on Ikki's lap.

"Jinora. Ikki." Tenzin looked between his two daughters. "You're both princesses. You can't just-"

"Then maybe I don't want to be a princess anymore." Jinora crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from both her father and her sister, blowing at a loose strand of hair in front of her face for good measure. Looking between her father and her sister, Ikki gently placed Pepper's head back on Jinora's lap, then slipped away as quietly as possible.

Tenzin brought two fingers to his temple and massaged it, looking at Pepper. "Raava forbid you have any daughters." The tiger gave him a puzzled look as he left, leaving only Jinora and Pepper to themselves in the garden.

Jinora fiddled with the skirt of her dress while Pepper stretched herself out on the ground, yawning as she prepared herself for an afternoon nap.

"I know he means well," Jinora said to Pepper in a soft voice. "I just wish…" She stopped herself, sighing sadly as she looked at the large birdcage. She wasn't sure what within her made her want so badly something she not only couldn't have, but couldn't even begin to comprehend. This was her life: diplomatic visits and ivory towers and tall marble walls built not so much to keep anyone out than to keep her in.

Jinora strode over to the bird cage with light steps, smiling at the birds inside before flinging the doors open. The dove couple and the rest of the birds flew out immediately, their wings stretching to their full length as they flittered into the clear blue sky. Jinora watched them leave, silently wishing them all a safe journey to wherever they were headed.

If only she could grow wings, too.

 _why shouldn't i fly so far from here?_

Jinora was just leaving the library when she saw Ikki bump into the royal artist, causing him to drop his charcoal pencils and sketchbooks. Loose leaflets of paper floated around them as they both dropped to their knees to pick everything up. Jinora hid behind a column, watching the scene closely.

"I'm so sorry, Huan," Ikki said, and Jinora couldn't help but smile at the pink blush dusting her sister's fair cheeks.

"No need to apologize, Your Majesty," the man said with a friendly nod. Huan was usually a fairly moody character, but ever since Ikki had started taking painting lessons from him, he'd begun to warm up to the younger princess. Jinora had encouraged their budding closeness at first, thinking a friendship was just what Ikki needed. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten just how prevalent crushes were at the ripe age of 15, especially when it came to mysterious older men with an eye for beauty. At the very least, Huan was a nice man, if a little old for Ikki (not the age of most of Jinora's suitors, thank Raava), and altogether unaware of the nature of his pupil's admiration of him. "Working hard on your blending?"

Ikki nodded vigorously, and Jinora nearly slapped her forehead. Was it possible to catch second-hand embarrassment? "I'll see you at our lesson on Monday?"

Huan nodded as they both stood up, and once all his things were gathered back into his arms, he bowed his head slightly, casting Ikki a warm glance. "See you around, Princess."

As the young artist walked away, Ikki fiddled with the skirt of her pink dress, watching him leave. Once Huan turned a corner, Ikki let out a long sigh.

"Learn anything new from teacher?" Jinora stepped out from behind the column with a small smirk. It seemed like a good enough time to make her presence known as any.

Ikki flushed a deeper red. "Jinora, how long were you-"

"Ikki. Relax." Jinora brushed a strand of hair behind her sister's ear, and pulled her along behind her. "Come on."

They walked through lengthy hallways and long stairwells before they made it up to Jinora's room, always clean and simply furnished, with stacks of books placed here and there along any and every flat surface. They both sat down on the edge of Jinora's bed, careful not to sit on the sheer red canopy hanging from above it. Jinora brushed away the cloth and made Ikki face away from her so she could take Ikki's hair out of the two tight buns on top of her head.

"Jinora, have you ever been in love?" Ikki asked.

"No," she replied simply. "And neither have you."

"But-"

"Huan is…nice. But too old for you, if you ask me." Jinora tugged the last hairpin out of the first bun, causing half of Ikki's dark black hair to cascade down to the small of her waist in loose waves. "Let's see, he's Opal's older brother by about one or two years, Opal's older than me by four years, and you're younger than me by three more years, so if you do the math-"

"I get it," Ikki grumbled.

"Besides," Jinora added more seriously, "he's an artist with no substantial title. His younger sister is my lady-in-waiting. Their family is important to us and even well-off, but…not what the law requires we join. Even if it _was_ serious…" She sighed as Ikki's other bun came loose, combing the soft hair out with her fingers, before she began to twist them back into more loose buns, allowing shorter strands of hair to fall around her sister's face, just the way she knew she liked them. "You know why it couldn't happen, and… I just don't want you to be disappointed, Ikki."

"Well, I already am," Ikki said softly. "I hate that stupid law."

"Me too," Jinora replied, wrapping an arm around her little sister as she turned to face her. Ikki rested her head on Jinora's shoulder.

"We live in the biggest home in all of Agrabah and it still feels like a cage sometimes."

Jinora's heart nearly broke, and she squeezed her sister's shoulder. "I know." A moment of silence passed between them, when Jinora smiled down at Ikki. "Hey, enough about marriage and dumb suitors. You're having fun painting?"

Ikki nodded, returning the smile. "Did you know that there are over twenty different shades of the same color? And that mixing light brown with blue makes a darker brown? And have you seen the way Huan blends the shadows in his paintings? I don't think I'm very good yet, but he keeps telling me that I've got a lot of potential…"

As her sister rattled on, Jinora found herself both relieved and a bit envious that Ikki at least had someone that saw her as more than a Princess. As more than just a decoration for a man's arm, or a gateway to great power and fortune. Even if she was sure Huan wouldn't see Ikki as much more than a student and a friend, at least he saw more in her than just her title.

It sounded so nice to have that kind of a friend. Someone who just saw _her_ , who would see all her strengths and faults, all her dreams and disappointments. Someone who didn't see the crown so much as the person under it.

An absentminded hand flew up to her tiara, and Jinora almost felt like flinging it away. She'd lost count of how often it felt far too heavy on her head.

She was the future queen of Agrabah, and to wish for anyone to see beyond that title was something even their vast wealth couldn't buy.

 _follow your heart or you might end up cold and callous_

It had already been four hours since he'd talked to either of his daughters and Tenzin wanted to scream.

He tried to get his mind off things, to play with Rohan and to go through paperwork, but as he looked at all the pieces of parchment at his desk, he found he could only stare. When had he become so distant from his two daughters?

Did he _want_ to push his daughters into marriage? Of course not. Of _course_ he wanted them to be happy, to find people who loved and respected them. To make a family out of love, not out of obligation.

But that wasn't the world they lived in. The world they lived in was made up of rules, both written and unwritten, and their lives were a balancing act that could never fail. One slip up could mean years of work trying to rebuild Agrabah's reputation in the eyes of other countries. It was a harsh world, and Tenzin had only just managed to keep peace between his kingdom and the rest. He didn't have to go and make the job harder on any of his children.

A dark shadow crept over his desk, and Tenzin regarded it with some caution, looking up before he let out a sigh of relief at the familiar sun-browned face.

"Unalaq. Perfect timing."

Unalaq's thin lips curled up into a smile. "My life is but to serve you, my lord. Tell me, what do you require of me this afternoon?"

"It's this suitor business," Tenzin replied with a shake of his head. "Jinora refuses to choose a husband, and I'm at my wit's end!" He rubbed one of his temples, staring at the parchments scattered across his desks with a twinge of resentment. "And Ikki's been picking up on Jinora's attitude towards the whole affair, and Meelo continues to be difficult, and…" He frowned deeply at where that train of thought was going. _And everything's so much harder without Pema around_.

Spirits, he missed her.

"Perhaps I can divine a solution to this thorny problem," Unalaq said with a deep bow.

Tenzin smiled appreciatively, thankful for the change of subject. "If anyone can help, it's you."

"But…it would recquire the use of the Mystic Blue Diamond." Unalaq tilted his head toward the ring on Tenzin's pinky, and hesitance crept into him like a cold drop of water down his back.

"It was my wife's," Tenzin said softly, reluctant to give it up. It had been in her family for generations, and was one of the things Tenzin held onto in her memory.

"It's necessary to find the princess's suitor," Unalaq said, impatience rising in his voice. Tenzin raised an eyebrow at the vizier's tone, even as his attention was drawn to the golden cobra-headed scepter in his hand when he tapped in on the ground. He was especially drawn to its ruby eyes, he found, growing more lost in them as Unalaq brought it closer to Tenzin's face. The Sultan's thoughts grew cloudy as Unalaq continued to speak. "Don't worry," Unalaq said in a silky voice, "everything will be fine."

For a moment, Tenzin's entire world was glowing rubies and Unalaq's words as he repeated, "Yes…everything…will be fine…"

"The diamond?"

Tenzin barely knew what he was doing as he reached for the ring and slipped it off his finger, dropping it into the palm of Unalaq's outstretched hand without any hesitation. For some reason, he couldn't even remember why he'd been unwilling to part with it before. "Whatever you need…will be fine…"

The scepter was taken away from Tenzin's face, and for a moment he was completely disoriented as he looked around his work chambers, trying to remember for the life of him what he was doing and why his head felt so light.

"You are most gracious, my liege," Unalaq said, and Tenzin wasn't sure what he'd done for him to say that. He held his head, and spots of light flickered along his line of vision.

"Unalaq, what…?"

"You seem exhausted, your majesty. Would you like for me to have one of the servants escort you to your private chambers to rest?" Unalaq slipped something into the breast of his coat, and Tenzin would have wondered what it was if he wasn't feeling so dizzy.

"That sounds perfect, Unalaq," Tenzin said, resting his head in his hand. He smiled up at the grand vizier through his headache. "What would I do without you?"

Unalaq simply smiled, before leaving to fetch a servant. Within moments, Tenzin was being guided away from his desk and into his private chambers.

Why he couldn't remember the last 20 minutes of his life, he hardly knew, but it didn't seem to matter much as he drifted off for what he felt was a long-overdue nap.

 _something awaits beyond these palace walls_

The stars twinkled in the clear night sky, and Jinora had just slipped on her favorite silk night gown and was staring up at them from her balcony. She let down her hair, dark and brown and to her waistline, curling gently around her face, and she allowed the cool night air to prick at her skin.

A knock sounded at the door, and Jinora turned cautiously toward it. "Who is it?" She swore she would scream if it ended up being her father or Unalaq.

"Princess Jinora?" Her body relaxed at the light, ringing sound of Opal's voice.

"Come in," she said gratefully. She walked through her balcony's curtain back into her room to find her lady-in-waiting looking at her with wide, frantic eyes and a piece of parchment in her hands. They trembled as she held it out to Jinora, who took it with a rising sense of dread. Jinora looked down at it and immediately recognized her sister's loopy handwriting.

 _I can't live like this anymore. I'm tired of having my life lived for me, and I can't do it anymore. I'm tired of being a princess. I'm running away, and I'm going to make a living off my art. I'm going to take care of myself now. Daddy, I'm sorry. Jinora, I hope you find someone that treats you the way you deserve. Meelo, I'm sorry we fought earlier. Rohan, I'll miss you so much. And Huan…thank you for inspiring me. I wish I could have stayed, but…it hurt too much. I'm not sure you'll understand and I don't think I want you to._

 _Please don't come after me. I need to live my own life. Love, Ikki._

Jinora's hands shook when she reached the end, before she promptly tossed the note onto her bed. She turned to Opal, whose green eyes were still shining with concern.

"Have you told anyone other than me about this?"

"No, I thought you'd want to be the first to know," Opal said. Jinora let out a short sigh of relief.

"Good. Don't tell anyone else. Come back here as quickly as you can with the plainest hooded cloak you can find."

"But Princess-"

" _Now_."

Opal frowned, but when she set her mouth and nodded, Jinora knew her lady-in-waiting would do exactly as she asked despite the risk. She made a mental note to make sure Opal got a raise once they got back.

Jinora looked out the window once more, the open curtain wafting lightly in the night breeze. This was _her_ little sister, and she'd have to get her back on her own.


	6. A Million Miles Away

"Melons! Fresh melons on sale today!"

Kai balanced precariously on the awning of the fruitstand, looking at Momo with focused, twinkling eyes.

"Melons! Get your fresh melons!"

The seller's voice boomed in his ears, and after a few more calls, Kai signaled Momo with a tilt of his head.

"Okay, Momo…go!"

Momo saluted him with a small squeak, before hanging off the awning by only his tail. Kai waited till the seller's calls were replaced by Momo's squeaks and his scolding before he dove down himself, hanging on by his legs to dip down to the stand and snatch the largest melon his hands could carry. He briefly caught sight of Momo making faces at the seller, who was preoccupied with trying to pull a significantly smaller melon out of the lemur's hands. Kai was back up on the top of the awning in a flash, and once Momo joined his side, he extended his hand to Momo, who gave it a good-natured slap.

"Nice going, Momo," Kai said, cracking the melon open on his knee. "Breakfast is served!" He handed Momo the other half, who took it gratefully, burying his face in the soft fruit.

When Kai finished his own half, wiping away the juices that had trailed down his face and licking off the remaining juice on his fingers, his eyes latched onto a new face in the crowd of the marketplace. A girl's.

Her face was fair, almost like porcelain, as if the sun was too shy to kiss it. Her eyes were wide, a dark brown like her hair, which fell in long strands around her face under her hood. Even with her eyebrows furrowed and her soft pink lips drawn down in a focused frown, Kai wasn't sure if he'd ever seen anything so beautiful in his life. His fingers twitched at tingled the way they did whenever he got the itch to steal something, and he looked down at his hands in alarm. They had _never_ reacted like that to a person before.

Kai looked back up to see the girl, who was apologizing profusely to a fire-eater she'd bumped into, and her hood fell away, revealing just part of her long, wavy brown hair. Her dark hair framed her creamy white skin like a masterpiece. She wasn't the first pretty girl Kai had seen in the marketplace, but he'd never felt so drawn to any of them the way he felt drawn to this one.

The girl pulled her hood back up onto her head with a small, self-conscious smile, and Kai was enchanted by the way her eyes sparkled like jewels before her expression went back to the frantic one of before, and he wished he could hear her voice above the crowd as she went from person to person, her pink lips forming a question to which she presumably got an unsatisfactory answer from the way her expression fell and her mouth formed a soft, "Thank you anyway."

Kai leaned against the wooden support of the awning, resting his face in his hand as he contented himself with simply looking at her. "Wow," he murmured despite himself, ignoring the way Momo squeaked at him and waved a tiny paw in front of his face. For the first time, Kai had found a better view than the one of the palace in his little hovel, and he happily lost himself in that view, appreciating every line and curve and swish of her movements from within her simple brown garment. It was a beautiful world, this world of pink lips and skin like sweet cream and eyes more brilliant than any jewel he'd ever stolen, and if he hadn't felt like such an awkward mess of limbs and hair, with melon juice drying at the corners of his mouth and sweat sticking to the cloth of his vest, he might have gone down to talk to her.

Maybe he would. Later. Right now, he was just happy to have the privilege of looking at her.

Sometimes life on the streets wasn't so bad.

 _there won't be any obligations_

"Have you seen a girl a little younger than me with brown hair like mine and grey eyes?" The question tumbled out of Jinora's mouth with familiar ease, and she was growing tired of saying it as the fishmonger shook his head at her, before offering her his catch of the day. She waved him off with a quick "Thank you," turning to ask the person behind her, clad in a simple gray garment. Their back was turned, and Jinora gently tapped on the person's shoulder, ready to ask the question when the words halted in her throat as she met the person's grey eyes.

"Hi," Ikki choked out, tugging at the frayed material of her hood. Jinora wasn't sure whether to cry in relief or scream.

"Ikki!" Jinora grabbed her little sister's wrist and pulled her over near a stand that was selling apples. "What were you _thinking_?"

"I'm sorry, I-I just thought…" Ikki mumbled, casting her eyes to the dirt floor.

"You're lucky Opal's kind enough to cover for us right now, otherwise Dad would be worried sick and who knows what state Agrabah would be in with the amount of search parties he'd send after you and… What in Raava's name possessed you to think running off was the solution?"

"Why are you so angry with me? It's not like you wanted to be a princess any more than I did," Ikki retorted, crossing her arms.

Jinora held two fingers to her temple. "Ikki, we are not having this discussion now-"

"Why not? Jinora, you said it yourself. We've never been outside the palace before today, we've never done a thing on our own, and we're not _free_. I'm surprised you haven't done this before."

Jinora narrowed her eyes at Ikki. "I haven't done this before because I know I have a duty to my people!" she hissed. "We are leaving. _Now_."

She tightened her grip on her sister's wrist and turned to leave when she bumped into a small boy, who looked longingly at the apples on the stand. He looked up at Jinora with sad eyes, and Jinora's heart melted.

"Oh. You must be hungry." She grabbed an apple off the tabletop with her free hand and handed it to the boy with a soft smile. "There you go."

The boy flashed her a wide grin before running off, and Jinora almost smiled when a low voice behind her said, "You'd better be able to pay for that."

Jinora turned around to see the fruit vendor, his small eyes bulging out of his large, red face. He looked at Jinora menacingly, and her eyes wandered to the gleam of the scimitar hanging off his belt.

"Ikki, did you bring any money with you?" Jinora whispered to her sister out of the corner of her mouth.

"No." Jinora felt her stomach churn with uncertainty, and she released her hold on Ikki.

"Run back home," she said sharply. "I'll take care of this."

"Wha-?"

" _Go. Home. Now._ I better see you there when I get back." Without another word, Ikki dashed off in the direction of the palace, and Jinora nearly sighed in relief. Whatever trouble Jinora would end up getting into, she hoped that at least her sister would have the sense to listen to what may very well be her last order. She turned back to the vendor, who yanked her wrist so hard she nearly cried. Jinora did her best to maintain her composure. "Now, sir-"

"No one steals from _my_ cart!" the vendor snarled, his rough grip around her wrist tightening.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't have any money, but if you'd just-"

" _Thief!_ " A murmur rose around them as the vendor pinned her arm down on his stand. Jinora tried to wrench her arm away from him.

"P-please, if you let me go to the palace, I can get some from the Sultan-"

"Do you know what the penalty is for stealing?" the vendor boomed, pulling out his scimitar. It gleamed in the sun as he held it over her, and it took everything in Jinora to keep herself from crying.

"No, no _please-!_ "

Jinora shut her eyes tightly, steeling herself for the sting of the blade. When the hold on her arm was released and the bite of the scimitar never came, she opened her eyes to see a tall, lean figure standing in front of her, holding the scimitar at bay.

"Thank you, kind sir," he said in a light, breezy voice, slipping the scimitar out of the vendor's hands and handing it to Jinora before shaking the vendor's large hand with both of his, "I'm so glad you found her." The young man turned to her, and Jinora felt heat rise to her cheeks as she finally looked into her rescuer's dusky face, his deep green eyes meeting her brown ones. His hair was messy on top and roughly shaven along the sides, and her eyes followed the sharp line of his high cheekbones, then traced the line of his jaw, finally landing on his chapped lips, which were drawn into a frown that didn't at all match the twinkle in his eyes. "I've been looking all over for you!" he said, wagging a finger at her before turning her so she was facing away from him. He took her by the shoulders – his hands were strong and warm, she noticed – and guided her away from the vendor. She turned slightly to see his face, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, and her smile widened at the sight of his grin.

"Just play along," he whispered into her ear, and his warm breath against her skin nearly caused her to shiver when the vendor placed a hand on his shoulder. They both froze, turning slowly to face the much larger man.

"You…know this girl?"

The boy clapped an arm around the vendor's shoulder and let out a long sigh. "Sadly, yes. She is my sister." Jinora's eyebrows shot up, then furrowed when he added in a loud whisper, "She's a little crazy." Jinora nearly crossed her arms and scoffed when the boy shot her a quick look.

 _Play along._

Jinora kept her arms to her side, allowing the scene to play out. Whoever this boy was, she'd have to trust him to get her out of this mess.

The vendor grabbed the boy by the vest (why he had a vest with no shirt, Jinora couldn't be bothered to wonder) and said, "She said she knew the Sultan!"

The boy laughed nervously, prying the vendor's hands from his ragged garment. "She thinks the lemur's the Sultan."

Jinora's eyes landed on the white, dust-covered lemur near her feet, who she only just caught taking his paws from out of a person's purse, chattering excitedly. Jinora exchanged a quick look with the boy before dropping to her knees, bracing herself for the inevitable, yet necessary humiliation that was about to follow.

"Oh, wise Sultan," she exclaimed in the airiest voice she could manage, "how may I serve you?" She bowed down to the lemur, who squeaked out his surprise as she splayed her arms out in front of her, touching her forehead to the dirt road. She tried not to think about all the feet that had walked upon the ground she now touched.

"Tragic, isn't it?" she heard the boy say, and she wasn't sure whether she'd hug him for getting her out of this mess later or strangle him for embarrassing her like this. She found herself wanting to do both and then some, and tried to ignore the warmth that rose to her face as she focused on the lemur's squeaking, attributing the heat under her brown cloak to the desert heat.

This wasn't the time to be fawning over some marketplace local – she had to get back to the palace, make sure her sister was okay, and then resume the slow monotony of her life, suitors and all. Though now it'd be even harder, she had to admit… No. She'd just met him. She was not about to throw away everything she knew for a boy that she'd just met, whether or not he'd saved her. She swore this boy would either be the life or death of her, in more ways than she cared to admit.

"But no harm done," the boy said, and she found herself being guided back up to her feet, the boy's hands solid and warm on her shoulders. "Now come along, _sis_ , time to go see the doctor."

She kept her expression as vacant as she could manage, even getting out a "Hello, doctor, how are you?" as they walked towards a camel yak. The boy guided her away from the animal, and she felt a strange sense of pride swell within her as she caught his thinly-veiled snickers.

"No, no, no, not _that_ one," the boy said, giving her a conspiratorial grin as she turned to face him, and Jinora wanted so badly to smile back. The boy turned back to the lemur and called, "Come on, _Sultan_."

The lemur opened his mouth to let out a few more chittering squeaks, but his cheeks were full, and once he let out a soft squeal, it was clear why. An alarming number of coins, jewelry, and apples spilled out of his mouth as he gave the crowd around them a mocking bow, and the expression on the boy's face turned to one of alarm as he grabbed her hand and ran as fast as he could, the lemur gliding close behind them with full cheeks.

"Come back here, you little thieves!" the vendor screeched, but they were already too far away for him to give chase. Jinora didn't dare look back, and she only focused on her legs and making them run as fast as she could, all while gripping the boy's hand as tightly as possible.

Somehow, she thought the running wasn't the only reason she was breathless.

 _leave everything behind_

It was dark in the vizier's room, the curtains drawn and the doors locked shut. The only source of light was his cobra-headed scepter, its ruby eyes letting off a soft red glow. In the vizier's hand was the Mystic Blue Diamond, an artifact he was sure the Sultan wouldn't ever be able to properly appreciate anyway. For someone so smart, Tenzin could be so disgustingly sentimental.

Unalaq gingerly set the diamond on top of the large hourglass, and sent a small spark into the diamond with a wave of his scepter. The sand in the hourglass began to whirl around, slowly at first, before picking up speed, billowing about and scratching against the glass. A small smile crept onto Unalaq's face.

"Depart, sands of time, reveal to me the one who can enter the cave," he commanded. At his words, the sands formed an image in the bottom half of the hourglass, first of the Cave of Wonders, then of a young man on a ladder. Close behind him was the form of a young woman, a spitting image of Princess Jinora.

There he was. The one he'd been looking for.

Unalaq swiftly left his private chambers, locking the door behind him. It was time to have the guards extend an invitation to this Diamond in the Rough.

 _when you choose to lose yourself, who knows what you might find?_

Kai had never brought a girl home before.

Granted, _home_ was a generous word for his hovel, and it wasn't like a decade on the streets had given him much time to think about the nuances of romance, but the fact still burned in the front of his mind: he was taking a smart, funny, beautiful girl to his innermost sanctuary and it gave him jitters just thinking about it.

He helped her climb up one of the abandoned buildings on the way to the hovel, his eyes meeting hers for what must have been the millionth time that afternoon as he sat her down on the ledge to catch her breath. Not that he minded.

"Almost there… You good?" He smiled when she nodded quickly, before he got back up to his feet and pulled her up into a standing position. She lost her balance for a moment, and it sent her falling towards him, just close enough for him to catch her in his arms. Her head pressed into his bare chest and he gulped noisily at the sudden dryness in his throat. She held onto his arms as she looked up into his face, her eyes warm like burning wood on a cold night, and a light blush dusted her cheeks as he helped her back up onto her feet. The skin on his neck prickled with warmth, and for once it wasn't because of Agrabah's heat.

The girl looked away shyly before pulling herself reluctantly out of his arms, and Kai ran a hand through his hair, smiling nervously at her as she tugged at the material of her hood.

"I want to thank you for stopping that man," she said softly. Her voice was just as beautiful as he'd expected it to be, low and smooth and brimming with sincerity.

Kai rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a lopsided smile, meeting her eyes for a brief moment before he looked away, his facing burning. "Uh, forget it," he said, trying to keep his focus on getting them to their intended destination.

He walked over to a pile of discarded wood, where Momo tossed him a thin pole. He weighed it in his hands for a moment, before turning back to her. She was still smiling softly at him, and couldn't find the strength to look straight into her face again; it always set his heart pounding too fast for comfort, and she made him feel like a gangly little boy on the cusp of pubescence again.

"So uh," he said, trying to keep his voice casual, "this is your first time in the marketplace, huh?" He tore his gaze from her to the wide gap between him and the next roof, before setting off with a running start before planting the pole firmly into the ground and leaping across the distance, with Momo hanging onto the stick for dear life. He tried not to grin too hard when he landed solidly on his feet and looked back to see the girl looking at him with wide, impressed eyes.

She rested her hands on her hips and spoke through a small, self-conscious smile. "Is it that obvious?"

Kai picked up a flat wooden plank, and for a moment caught himself staring at the girl's upturned lips again. "Well, you do kind of stand out." The words tumbled out of his mouth too quickly for his mind to catch him, and he forced his gaze away from her lips, steadying his eyes over the shared height of the two flat rooftops. "I-I mean," he began, pushing the piece of wood carefully across the flat ledge of the roof, "you don't seem to know how dangerous Agrabah can be." The other end of the plank hit the opposite ledge with a thud, and he was focused on leveling the makeshift bridge as best he could for the girl to walk over when he heard the soft landing of small feet on dirt near him. He turned around to see the girl holding a rod and wearing a small, pleased smile. Strands of dark hair curled around her face, slick with sweat, and as the hood fell off her head, Kai swore he could see Agrabah's sunset reflected in her dark eyes.

"I'm a fast learner," she said lightly, tossing her wooden pole to Kai. He turned to his lemur friend, exchanging a look of surprise, before his mouth turned back up to an impressed grin as he tossed Momo the girl's wooden pole, turning back to her.

He joined her side briefly, tilting his head toward their intended direction. "Come on," he said, taking her hand – he'd never dreamed hands could be so soft, and his heart pounded in his chest as her fingers curled into his – "this way."

He guided her through stone stairways and wobbling ladders, giving her the occasional warning to watch her head or her step, always looking out for low archways or missing stairs. When they reached his hovel, he was relieved to have gotten her over in one piece, and tingling with nerves. He had a _girl_ in his _home_.

"Is this where you live?" The girl's voice was hushed with a sort of reverence and wonder, and for the first time, Kai took pride in his makeshift home. He took her other hand, guiding her to the broken stairways along which they slept. The dim yellow of midday shone through the tears in the curtain.

"Yep. Just me and Momo," he said, nodding over to the scowling lemur. "We come and go as we please."

"That sounds fabulous," the girl sighed. Kai guided her into a seat near the ledge.

"Well, it's not much," Kai admitted with a sheepish grin, "but it's got a great view." He drew the ragged curtain open, and sunlight streamed in, the palace glimmering brighter than ever. He sat down next to the girl, their knees and thighs brushing as he looked out into the splendid horizon. "The palace looks pretty amazing, huh?"

"…Oh. It's wonderful." Kai caught a drop in the girl's tone, but couldn't keep his mind from wandering. He'd _never_ brought anyone else up here before. He'd never even entertained the idea of sharing this innermost sanctuary with anyone else, let alone the thoughts that were always floating in his head, fighting for a way to make themselves known. And now they had an audience, one that Kai just _knew_ would understand.

"I wonder what it'd be like to live there," he said, resting the heels of his hands back into the floor. He leaned back, his upper arm brushing the cloth of hers. "To have servants, valets…" He looked over to the girl, mildly surprised to see the pained expression on her face.

"Sure. People to tell you where to go and how to dress." Kai couldn't help but chuckle at the scowl turning down the girl's lips. That certainly hadn't been the reaction he'd expected from a girl. He'd assumed that most of them would dream of being princesses, to have fancy dresses and to attend fancy dinner parties. In truth, Kai had never thought of royal life that way before. Anyway, this girl didn't need fancy dresses or royal hairdressers to make her beautiful.

"That's better than here," he shrugged, getting up to swipe away an apple Momo had managed to smuggle past the vendor. He cleaned it off on the cloth of his vest – _Momo, if this was in your mouth, I swear to Raava_ – and went back over to sit next to the girl. "You're always scraping for food and ducking the guards…"

"You're not free to make your own choices," the girl rambled on.

"Sometimes you feel so…"

"You're just…"

"Trapped." Their voices formed the last word together, and looked at one another, stunned. Then, the girl's lips turned back up into a soft smile, and Kai grinned back. He _knew_ she'd understand. He'd just known, and his gut, as always, had been right.

Kai abruptly cleared his throat, suddenly self-conscious about his staring (really, though, who could help it?) when he asked, "So, where are you from?" He tossed the apple up into the air, bumped it up higher with his shoulder, and then knocked it into her direction with a bump of his elbow. The girl caught it, gaping slightly, before she opened her mouth to reply, then stopped. She stared intently at the apple for a moment, and Kai wondered if, somehow, he'd overstepped his boundaries, when the girl said, "What does it matter? I came out here to bring my sister home, but… I understand why she left. And now that I'm out, I'm honestly not sure if I'm going back."

The girl's smile faded, and Kai took a quick bite of another apple, before handing it to Momo and scooting closer to the girl, wiping the juice off his mouth with the back of his hand. "Really? How come?" He watched her closely as she let out a heavy sigh, before turning to look up at him.

"My father's forcing me to get married."

The words hit Kai's chest like a hard mallet, and he wasn't sure why. "That's awful."

"I know I should go through with it," the girl said, "but…I hate being forced into this. I hate being forced into a lifetime with a man I hardly know and like even less. You know some of the men that have tried to win my hand are just a few years younger than my father? I just…" The girl shut her eyes tightly, and small tears sprung out of her closed eyes. Kai stared at her, shocked, and took her hand on an impulse. He was relieved when she interlocked their fingers, squeezing his hand tightly. He gave her a reassuring squeeze back. "I want to help my family. I really do, but it's just…it's not fair."

"It isn't," Kai agreed, drawing closer to her. Their knees were touching again. "You deserve to have your own life. To be free to make your own choices."

The girl's eyelids fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a teary smile. "Thanks." The blush sprung back to her cheeks and she looked away quickly, but she didn't let go of his hand. "I would've done long ago what my sister tried to do today, if not for my father, and the rest of our siblings. I have a duty to…everyone. But…"

"But you just want a chance to get away from it all, don't you? See the world?" Kai gave her a knowing smile.

"Yeah," the girl sighed.

"Have you ever…" Kai paused for a moment, embarrassed, and the girl looked up at him expectantly. He'd thought this for years, never voicing it to anyone, not even Korra or Momo. It was stupid, and he knew it, and he was almost too ashamed to share it, even with this girl.

"What is it?" Her eyes shone in the afternoon sun, and Kai looked into them closely, almost convinced that they held the answers to every question he'd ever had in his life.

If anyone could understand, it was this girl.

"Have you ever imagined what it'd be like to take off and never look back?" His breath hitched as he waited for her response, dreading the idea of her laughing at him or thinking he was stupid, and he almost cried in relief when she simply smiled and nodded, her eyes glistening with understanding.

"Only every hour of every day." The girl's smile broke into a wide grin, and Kai returned it, his heart pounding with relief and exhilaration. He was _understood_. Someone just _got_ him in a way he thought anyone ever would, and it was almost more than he could bear.

Feeling emboldened, he stood up, bringing the girl up to her feet with him, and asked, "What's stopping us?"

The girl let out a laugh. "What?"

"Really, what's stopping us? We could leave tonight. We could join some caravan with nothing but the stars to guide us. No plans, no directions, just us and the open desert."

"No fathers telling me what to do," the girl added, her face lighting up. "No responsibilities, no duties, no schedules…each day unplanned and full of opportunity."

Kai beamed at her. "Exactly."

"Or we could travel on the sea!" The girl's entire face was practically glowing now, and Kai laughed, hoping to reflect some of her light. "We could build a tiny little sailboat for just the two of us and send it off into the sea."

"Momo and I can tend the sails if you steer," Kai grinned, and the girl giggled.

"We could just watch the waves, not worry about the future or anything. Just let the wind guide us wherever we're meant to go."

"And we could let fate guide us a million miles away from here. We could visit other countries with nothing but the clothes on our backs."

"We could listen to music from outside the doors of concert halls-"

"-and dance through the streets!" Kai brought his other hand around to the small of the girl's back, pressing her against him, leading her in a dizzy dance with no music other than their joined laughter, and no beat other than the shared rhythm of their hearts. Kai twirled the girl around again and again, reveling in her laughter, before bringing her back into his arms. For a moment, they both just looked into each other's faces, their cheeks flushed with delight and their breath heavy with laughter.

"And after a million miles or so," the girl panted, looking up at him through long eyelashes, "what would we do?"

Kai's voice grew soft in his throat as he said, "We'd find out that we're finally home."

Momo chittered angrily in the background, but Kai barely noticed it as he stared into the girl's face, excited and overwhelmed by how much she seemed to understand him. How he understood her. How, in this unfriendly, unforgiving world, they'd somehow found each other.

Korra used to talk about how some people were just born with some kind of connection. She likened it to an invisible red string, one that could be tangled or knotted, but never broken. Sometimes it was tied between two best friends, and sometimes it was tied between two people who had only just met. Either way, Korra always said that once it came time for the two people to see their red string, they'd both know it. Kai had always likened it to a children's story, that bonds like that didn't exist, that red strings only came on expensive garments that he'd never wear.

All those thoughts were thoroughly squashed as he found himself leaning in, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest as he realized the girl was doing the same. He didn't even know her name, but it hardly seemed to matter as her breath grew warm on his lips, and her eyelids began to close, when –

"Here you are!" Saikhan's booming voice startled them both out of their thoughts. The girl pulled away quickly and Kai's mind began racing as he caught sight of the palace guards. Their scimitars glinted in the beaming sun, their faces red and their teeth bared.

"They're after me!" they both exclaimed, before turning to the other in surprise. "They're after _you_?"

Saikhan sent his scimitar through one of the fallen wooden support beams, and Kai scrambled onto the ledge and looked down at the broken, domed rooftop below. He'd hoped that he wouldn't have to use this particular exit route for a while, but it looked like he wouldn't have a choice.

"My father must have sent them to-"

Kai turned back to the girl, holding out his hand to her. "Do you trust me?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. "…Yes," she said softly, placing her hand in his. He held it firmly and pulled her close to him.

"Then jump!" Without a moment's hesitation, they jumped off the ledge, and Kai held onto the girl tightly as their screams filled his ears. He didn't even have time to be relieved when they both landed on soft sand. He checked the girl's face for any sign of injury, and when he confirmed that she was fine (rattled, but fine), he pulled her up behind him and started running again, constantly checking behind him to see if she was okay.

They didn't get far when he bumped into something. He looked up and saw Saikhan's scowling face, and his heart dropped to his stomach.

Saikhan grabbed Kai by his vest and pulled him up to eye-level. "We just keep running into each other, don't we, street rat?"

Kai nearly gagged at Saikhan's sour breath in his face when Momo perched himself on top of Saikhan's balding head and shoved his paws into the captain's eyes. Kai took the chance to elbow him hard in the stomach, forcing him to relinquish his hold on him. He took the girl's hand and guided him behind her again, looking back at her to make sure she could keep up.

They stopped short at a wall of guards, and Kai could feel the girl trembling beside him. Her hand had grown slick in his, and he gave her a frantic look as the Saikhan and his guards closed in on them.

Kai let go of the girl's hand. "Run! Go, get out of here!" She looked at him fearfully, but Saikhan knocked her out of the way before she could react. She fell to the floor with a soft grunt, and Kai felt a surge of anger rise in him. Two guards grabbed his arms before he could go to her.

"It's the dungeon for you!" Saikhan growled. The girl got up behind him and drew herself to her full height, glaring down at the guards in a way that Kai could only describe as regal.

" _Let him go_." Saikhan turned on her with a start, but she didn't back down even as he towered over her.

"What did you say, _street mouse_?"

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, before removing her hood. "I said, _release him_. By _order of the princess_."

Before Kai could fully comprehend the situation, the guards forced his head and knees down in a bow, and took the position themselves. Though Kai couldn't see him, he could hear Saikhan gasp, before bowing before the girl himself.

No, not just a girl. The _princess_.

Kai tilted his head back up as much as he could, watching the scene unfold. "Princess Jinora," Saikhan said, "what are you doing outside the palace? And with this…street rat?"

 _Street rat_. He had brought in a girl from the marketplace to his personal, _private_ hideout, and had shared some of his greatest, most impossible dreams with her, hoping to share more, to see where fate took them. He'd connected with her in a way he'd never connected with anyone before. And she'd turned out to be the _princess_.

"That's not your concern," the girl – Princess Jinora – said, planting her hands on her hips. "Do as I command, release him!"

For someone with such a small frame, the princess certainly had quite the commanding presence, evident from the way Saikhan's posture crumpled slightly. "I-I would, Princess," the captain said, "except my orders come from Unalaq." The grand vizier? What would the grand vizier want with him? "You'll have to take it up with him."

The guards took that as their cue to begin dragging Kai away, and despite his kicking and thrashing, he couldn't manage to get away from them.

"Believe me, I will," Jinora said, glaring daggers into Saikhan's forehead. The captain turned away, visibly uncomfortable, and the princess called after Kai, "Don't worry, I'll fix this! I'm sorry!"

Somehow, Kai didn't think he'd see her again, and the idea made him feel lonelier than the prospect of a lifetime in a dungeon ever could.


End file.
